According to Juliet Marine Systems, the world's first watercraft with a supercavitating hull is ready to be equipped with torpedoes and cannons. True, at the moment this statement has no connection with the US defense department, this is just another attempt to attract a potential buyer. The novelty is called "GHOST" ("Ghost") and at the moment the manufacturer chooses the supplier of weapons for the stealth boat produced by it.
This is an experimental device designed for patrolling and combat operations near the coast, key points on the routes of merchant ships. He also does an excellent job of protecting large, clumsy ships, both military and civil.
Low visibility for radars, a large fuel supply, a decent range, and, most importantly, the high speed of the boat "GHOST", make it an excellent means of repelling attacks from high-speed, small vessels.
On spite of the day, JMS mentions the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that only a couple of groups of "ghosts" can control the area and successfully compete with the speed boats of Iran. But so far this is only in theory. At the moment, the tests of the boat are being completed. Moreover, the company has not yet disclosed specific technical characteristics. However, despite this, the unusual car, which was first shown to the general public in August 2011, deserves attention.
Externally "GHOST" is very similar to the old stealth ship "Sea Shadow", and the layout and structure of the displacement hull intersects with another curious project of the patrol boat "CHARC". Just like it, below the water level there is a pair of displacement "torpedoes" of a rounded shape, which are connected to the surface cabin by several pylon blades. However, GHOST also has some differences, in particular, JMS has combined the long-known principle of a small waterline area with a supercavitating mode of movement. Specific details of the technology are not disclosed, but for example, we can recall the Russian-made Shkval torpedo-missile, which uses the phenomenon of cavitation in order to develop high speed under water.
It can be assumed that during acceleration, each of the underwater hulls of the new boat is enveloped in a large air bubble, starting from the nose and almost to the very tail. Experts from JMS claim that the artificially created gas environment under the surface of the water reduces friction for the hull by almost 900 times.
The ship's crew consists of three people, and several gas turbine engines drive it. The boat can be equipped with 1-2 tons of weapons, placed in the internal compartments, as well as on the roof. Weapons may include small missiles, small-bore cannons, and torpedoes.
So far, nothing is known about the reaction of the US Navy to all these advance promises, although the military knows about the development. Perhaps it is because of this rather cool reception that the developers of the speedboat are reporting the launch of a civilian version on the market in the future. This project will be supplemented by a number of other directions. JMS is working on the issue of creating an unmanned version of the "Ghost", as well as a possible increase in the scale of the model in order to create a large, about 46 meters long, ship.
As Wired noted, GHOST is far from the first attempt to develop a fast and unobtrusive "rapid response apparatus" for the Navy. But you need to go a long distance from prototypes to successfully used weapons.
For example, you can think of the 25-meter M80 Stiletto, which accelerates to speeds in excess of 90 km / h on smooth water. At the same time, 15 people can be on board along with related equipment and weapons, including a small 11-meter boat in a mini-dock located inside. This masterpiece could not show itself in all its glory, causing a bunch of questions instead. In 2008, participating in a real operation to intercept drug traffickers' ships off the coast of Florida, Stiletto simply failed.
All the advantages of the ship in speed were completely destroyed by the strong excitement. Illegal ships periodically disappeared on the radar, in addition to all this, there were problems in the system of closed communication with the rest of the warships.
However, JMS is 100% confident in the revolutionary nature of the vessel of its design, reasoning confidently enough about entering the international market. They argue that such a high-speed apparatus will find its application in a number of areas. And if he does not catch pirates, then a high-speed coastal taxi may well become.
